Refrigerator



Feb. 28, 1939.

G. GRUBB 2,148,983

REFRIGERATOR Filed June 22, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l- I I I ,3 50 if 25 6 a /6 /4 Q B I L 7 x7 1 E a0 3 3 2/ 29 33 3/ \g :0 40/1 g L I! j /6 INVENTOR.

A; ATTORNEY.

Feb. 28, 1939.

5. GRUBB REFRIGERATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 22, 1936 4 8 F MAM/M BY ,4 ATTORNEY.

Patented Feb. 2 1939 UNITED J STATES I REFRIGERATOR Gunnar Grubb, StockhohnjSweden, assignor, by

mesne assignments, to Servel, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application June 22, 1936, Serial No. 86 ,57 3

- In Germany July 10, 1935 5 Claims.

My invention relates *to refrigerators, and has for its object the provision'of suitable apparatus for reducing the rate at which cold air escapes from the storage compartment of a refrigerator when the refrigerator door is opened.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent from the following description, and the various features of novelty which characterize my invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims appended to and forming a 'part o'f this specification.

For a better understanding of my invention reference may be had to the following description and accompanying drawings in which Fig. l is a front view, partly broken away andin section, of a refrigerator cabinet embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view, partly in section, taken at line 2--2 of Fig. 1 with the refrigerator door shown in its closed position; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view, in section, taken at line 3-3 of Fig. Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 1 illustrating a modification of my invention; Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view, in vertical section, of the upper portion of the refrigerator shown in Fig. 4 and Fig. 6 is a view taken at line 6-6 of Fig. 5 and also illustrates a fragmentary view of the upper hinge side of the refrigerator door;

Referring to Figs. 1 to3 inclusive, I have shown my invention applied to a refrigerator Ill having a top wall bottom wall l2, and side walls 13 and I4 defining a thermally insulated storage compartment. Spaced shelves l5 and I6 are pro-' vided for dividing the storage compartment into several sections and a suitable cooling element I! for producingcold is arranged in the uppermost section. At the front of the refrigerator cabinet'a door I8 is pivotally supported by hinges for closing the opening and for providing access to the storage compartment.

In accordance with'my invention, in order to reduce the rate' at which cold air escapes from the storage compartment and is replaced by surrounding warmer air when the refrigerator door.

I8 is opened, I provide a shutter l9 arranged substantially at the opening of the refrigerator for closing the storage compartment. The shutter I9 is preferably flexible and comprises a sheet of flexible material sufliciently wide to extend from one side wall I3 to the opposite side wall 7 M of the storage compartment. The supporting means for the shutter I9 is so constructed and arranged that the shutter is movable upwardly. from and downwardly toward the bottom wall l2 in a plane substantially parallel to and closely adjacent to the rear side of the door [8 when it is in its closed position. As shown in Fig. a roller 20 is provided upon which the sheet of fiexible material is adapted to be rolled, and a hollow rod 2| is secured to the upper free edge of 5 the sheet of material. The roller 20 is located in a compartment 22 formed below the bottom wall l2 of the storage compartment, and the sheet of material extends through a slot in the bottom Wall I2. One projecting end 23 of the roller is journaled in a groove or recess 24 which is formed in theside wall l3 and extends vertically upward to a point slightly above the upper shelf 15. A shaft 25 is journaled within the roller 20 and its flat projecting end 26 extends into a slot in a groove 2'!v which is formed in the opposite side wall l4 and extends vertically upward the same distance as the groove 24. A helical spring 28 is disposed about the shaft 25 with one end thereof fixed 'to the roller 20 and the opposite 'end thereof fixed to the shaft 25 for biasing the roller to rotate in such a direction that the sheet of material is automatically wound thereon.

Within each half of the hollow rod 2| is disposed a bar 29 having a slide bar 30 fixed to its outer end which is adapted to extend into and move along one of the vertically extending grooves. The slide bars 30 are normally urged outward by helical springs 3| disposed about the bars 29 between collars 32 and 33 fixed-respectively, to the bars 29 and hollow rod 2|. The slide bars 30 normally ,render the helical spring 28 inoperative to roll the shutter ill on the roller '20, so that the extent of the opening closed by 35 the shutter l9 can be readily regulated by mov-' ing the rod 2| to'the desired vertical position. When the two parts of a handle 34, secured to the inner ends of the bars 29 and extending through an opening in the hollow rod 2|, are pressed together, the slide bars30 are moved inward to release the hollow rod 2| whereby the I rod can be moved upward against the tension of the spring 28, or the spring-28 is. rendered operative to roll the shutter l9 onto the roller 20. The edges of the sheet of material maybe increased slightly in thickness or strengthened in any other suitable manner so that they will withstand ordinary usage and wear. v Although the grooves 24 and 21 may be formed 50 in the side walls l3 and I l so that they will ex- .tend to the top of the storage compartment, it is not absolutely necessary to do this because the" articles most frequently used can be placed on the-ton shelf l5 and the articles less frequently 56 used placed on the shelf l and bottom wall it. Since the coldest air in the storage compartment flows downwardly to replace air having a higher temperature, it wil be seen that it is distinctly advantageous to provide the shutter l9 to enclose the bottom section or both the intermediate and bottom sections of the storage compartment, in order to reduce the rate at which such cold air escapes and is replaced with surrounding warmer air when the refrigerator door I8 is open.

In many instances the shutter i9 may inadvertently not be raised to its highest position after articles have been removed from or placed on the intermediate shelf l6 and bottom wall l2.

In order to make certain that the shutter 9 will always be in its uppermost position whenthe refrigerator door I8 is opened, I provide suitable automatic apparatus for raising the shutter when the refrigerator door is moved to its closed position. Such a modification is illustrated in Figs. 4 to 6 inclusive with parts similar to those shown in Figs. 1 to 3 designated by the same reference numerals.

In Fig. 4, the rod 29 secured to the free end of the shutter I9 is not provided with any locking mechanism inasmuch as it is desired, if the situation arises, to raise the shutter automatically when the door is moved to its closed position. For this reason the bar 29' is provided with a simple handle 35 and to the outer ends thereof are secured rings 38 which extend through vertical slots in the side walls l3 and I4 into the recesses 24' and 21'. The rings 36 move upward and. downward in the recesses 24' and 21' which extend the full height of the storage space. However, the. upward movement of the shutter is limited to a point slightly above the upper shelf I5, as in theprevious embodiment, by limiting the height of the vertical slots and by providing projections in the recesses 24' and 21', as indicated at 31 and 38 in Fig. 4. To each ring 36 is secured the end of a cord or wire 39 which extends downwardly in one of the recesses and is wound about a pulley 40 provided'at each end of the rotatable member or roller 29' which in this modification in a simple roller having no helical spring. t

From the pulleys 49 the wires 39 extend upward in the recesses 24' and 21 to the extreme top of the storage compartment where they are wound about pulleys 4| which are fixed to the ends of a shaft 42. The shaft 42 is journaled in the recesses 24 and 21' in a manner similar to the roller 20 and is located in a compartment 43 formed above the top wall H of the storage the bar 29'.

In view of the foregoing, it will be apparent that when the bar 29' is moved upward and downward the wires 39 are effective to rotate both the shaft 42 and the roller 20', and that with rotation of the roller 29' the shutter |9 will be wound onto and from the roller 20', sufficient turns of wire being provided on the pulleys 40 and 4| to insure a positive driving of the roller 20{ and the shaft 42.

In order to move the shutter l9 upward automaticallywhen it is inadvertently left in a position below the shelves l5 or IE and the door is closed, I provide suitable mechanism which is actuated to cause vertical movement of the shutter when the door is moved to its closed position. Referring to Figs, 5 and 6, this mechanism may amspss comprise a helical spring 44 disposed about the shaft 42 with the inner end thereof fixedly secured at 45 to the shaft 42, and the outer end thereof fixedly secured at 46 to the inwardly extending flange formed at the opening of an enclosed housing or sleeve member 41! through which the shaft 42 extends. The sleeve member 41 is stationary and rigidly secured by upper and lower brackets 48 at each end thereof to the extended upper ends of the side walls I3 and I 4 of the storage compartment.

A ratchet wheel 49 having a plurality of spaced notches 50 about its periphery is rigidly secured to the shaft 42, and a pawl or locking device 5| cooperating with the ratchet wheel is pivotally secured at 52 to the end wall of the sleeve member 41. The wires 39 are so wound about the pulleys 4| that the tension of the spring 44 is increased when the bar 29' is moved downwardly. As the tension of the spring 44 is being increased the ratchet wheel 49, referring to Fig. 6, rotates in a clockwise direction. The notches 50 on the ratchet wheel are so formed that the rear walls 53 are inclined sufficiently to permit the pawl 5| to fall and slip out of each notch as the ratchet wheel 49 is rotating in a clockwise direction. The leading walls 54 of the notches 59 are so inclined that,.when the shutter is slowly brought to a stop with the pawl 5| extending its full depth into one of the notches 59, the pawl 5| will effectively engage such notch and maintain the spring 44 under tension. By moving the bar 29 downward slightly to cause the pawl 5| to slip out of the notch it is effectively engaging, the bar 29' can be moved upward manually if this rate of upward movement is such that the pawl 5| is not permitted to extend its full depth into any one notch during counterclockwise movement of the ratchet wheel\ 49, the angle of inclination of the leading walls 54 of the notches 50 being such that the pawl 5| will only effectively engage a notch when it is extending its full depth into the notch. It will therefore be seenthat the shutter |9 can be moved downward and upward manually, and that when the shutter is moved to a position below the shelf l5 the tension of the spring 44 is increased and the pawl 5| is effective to render the spring 44 inoperative to rotate the shaft 42 and immediately raise the shutter i9.

In order to release the pawl 5| from the ratchet wheel 49 when the spring 44 is under tension,

so that upward movement of the shutter is auto matically effected when the door is moved to its closed position, the pawl 5| is provided with a projecting tongue 55, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, and a projecting pin 56 is fixed to the inner wall of the door IS. The pin 56 may be secured to an end of a bracket 51 extending inwardly from the door, as shown in Fig. 6, so that, when the door is moved to its closed position, the projecting tongue 55 will be in the path of movement of the pin 56. The pin is arranged to slide on the under inclined side of the projecting tongue 55 and raise the pawl 5| from the notch it is engaging, thereby rendering spring 44 operative to rotate the shaft in such a. direction that the shutter 9 will be raised to enclose the intermediate and lower sections of the storage compartment. When the shutter l9 has been auomatically raised and the refrigerator door I 8 is again opened, any downward movement of the shutter l9 will always increase the tension of the spring 44 so that; if the shutter I9 is not manually moved upward, the spring 44 will drive the pulleys 40 and 4| to raise the shutter I! when the door is subsequently moved to its closed position.

The shutter 19 may be formed of suitable transparent material, such as that known under the trade-mark Cellophane, or the material may be colored so that the shutter will be readily visible to indicate that the lower or both the intermediate and lower sections of the storage compartment are closed.

In the embodiments of my invention that I have described and illustrated the compartments and recesses for housing the operating mechanism are so formed that the walls of the storage compartment do not have any projecting portions. The walls of the storage compartment may also be so formed that projecting compartments are provided for housing the operating mechanism directly behind the door at the opening of the storage compartment. While I have shown and described particular embodiments of my invention, therefore, such variations and modifications are contemplated as fall within the true spirit and scope of my invention, as pointed out in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigerator including walls forming an insulated storage compartment having a door opening in a vertical side thereof, a door for closing said opening and means for cooling said compartment, a shutter of the shade roller type including a-fiexible transparent member, a roller at the bottom of said door opening and means acting on said roller and tending to keep said shutter in a rolled position, and means for maintaining the shutter in a selectively extended position, said shutter cooperating with the adjacent edges of the compartment to form a seal'restricting the loss of cooled air while permitting substantiallyfuli view of the compartment.

2. A refrigerator including. walls forming an insulated storage compartment having a door opening in a vertical side thereof, means for cooling said compartment, a shutter of the shade roller type including a flexible transparent member and a roller at the bottom of the said door opening, means tending to keep said shutter in rolled position upon said roller, and means for maintaining the shutter in a selectively extended position, said shutter when extended cooperating with the adjacent edges of the compartment to form a seal restricting the loss of cooled air.

3. A refrigerator including means forming a food storage compartment having a door opening in a vertical side thereof, means for cooling said compartment, a shutter of the shade 'roller type including a flexible transparent member, a roller upon which one end of said shutter is attached, means tending to keep said shutter in a rolled position, and means whereby the transparent member may be maintained in a selectively extended condition and a seal may be formed at the-edges of said shutter for restricting the loss of cooled air.

4. A refrigerator including means forming a food storage compartment having a door opening in a vertical side thereof, means for cooling said compartment, a shutter of the shade roller type including a flexible transparent member and a roller at the bottom of said compartment attached to one end of said shutter, means tending to keep said shutter in a roiled position, and means whereby the transparent member may be main-' tained in a selectively extended condition and a seal may be formed at the edges of said shutter for restricting the loss of cooled air, whereby the bottom of the compartment, the shutter in its extended condition, together with the side .walls of the compartment cooperatively form a well for cooled air.

5. A refrigerator including means forming a food storage compartment having a door opening in a vertical side thereof, channel means extending along each side wall adjacent the door opening, a door for closing said opening and means for cooling said compartment, a shutter of the shade roller type including a flexible transparent member adapted to slide in said channels, a roller upon which one end of said shutter is rolled, means tending to keep said shutter in its rolled position, and means whereby the transparent member may be maintained in a selec tively extended condition and a seal may be formed at the side edges thereof for restricting the loss of cooled air and permitting substantially full view of the interior of said compartment.

' GUNNAR GRUBB. 

